(i) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to pearlescent liquid suspensions and more particularly, to pearlescent liquid suspensions which comprise cationic surface active agents, higher alcohols, and alpha-mono(methyl-branched alkyl) glyceryl ethers and, if necessary, water-soluble polymer compounds, from which there are produced pearly crystals which are uniform in crystal form and have good high and low temperature stability.
(ii) Description of the Prior Art
In order to enhance the commercial value of cosmetics such as shampoos, rinses, lotions and the like, it is the general practice that these compositions are imparted with beautiful pearl luster appearance. Pearlescent liquid suspension have been prepared by several techniques including, for example, a technique in which there are used powdered products of natural or inorganic materials such as, for example, mica, fish scale, bismuth oxychloride and the like, and a technique of precipitating, in such compositions, crystals of higher fatty acids or salts thereof, ethylene glycol higher fatty acid esters, and the like. Among these techniques, the currently, widely employed technique is a method using ethylene glycol higher fatty acid esters. In this method, the esters which are solid at a normal temperature are added at the time of preparation of shampoo or the like and melted under heating conditions, followed by cooling to produce crystals of the ester. Thus, the liquid is imparted with a pearly appearance. A number of so-called pearling agents capable of producing pearly crystals are reported including ethylene glycol difatty acid esters (Japanese Laid-open patent application Nos. 57-51799, 57-156409, 57-156410, and 57-165308), polyethylene dicarboxylic acid esters (Japanese Laid-open patent application No. 57-67510), ethylene glycol or triethylene glycol fatty acid diesters (Japanese Laid-open patent application No. 56-133400), and polyalkylene glycol difatty acid esters (Japanese Laid-open patent application No. 57-48335).